Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Interview - Hell War Productions

Hell War Productions is one of the most important Underground Portuguese labels. We are talking about 10 years at the service of satan. We went to talk with Cultus Profanus and he agreed to answer this interview.

When have you decided to create Hell War Prod ?

I wanted to created a label/distro since 97 or 98, but 2 other guys started it before me, and since at that time we were very closed I helped them on it and put apart my idea, since most of the stuff on the distro, at that time was found by me. The first releases has been INNER HELVETE - "Satanic Hecatomb", and WAR MASTER - "Only Dead is Real - War Master's Tribute to DEAD".

Soon (end of February) will be release the tape version of FRONT BEAST’s album “Black Spells of theDamned”, in a limited edition of 500 copies on pro coloured covers.

And more blasphemies will be unleashed...

Hell War Prod. is dedicated to the most extreme Underground scene. Perhaps is one of the greatest Underground labels in the Portuguese Scene. Tell me what's your secret to get this goal done.

Nothing special, I just release what I like and I don't care what others may think about it. I don't seek for quality music, or for bands that could give money through the sales, I just want bands that could give me a feeling that nowadays is almost lost. I'm very proud of all releases and all of them have a special meaning to HWP, few have a hidden story behind, others have been possible after many years of contact with the band members. I think it's important for the labels to know the bands before release theirs works. I have already denied some releases, or some items for the distro list. I think what keeps HWP still active is the continuous search for unknown underground bands/labels/zines that I still make and, of course, because there's still a few maniacs that also maintain the interest for such projects and helped me buying such trophies that most of people dislike and even disrespected.

Do you want to keep HWP as a small underground label or you wish to evolutes to a highest level?

HWP will always be an underground label with a natural process of evolution but never to be a sold out label with happy metal bands involved on it. I deal with only the extreme underground and dealing with this isn't necessary to purchase a highest level on the mainstream movement because the ones involved on that crap will never understand the magic and felling that a rehearsal tape or a demo tape recorded at home transmit.The ones who support HWP know very well what to expect from the souls emerged from here. Feeling and attitude above all music abilities.I never kiss nor licked nobody’s asses and many that have stabbed my back will never work with me again, and I said this because today in this scene we see many strange things, people hated each ones butat the end everyone is a big friend and live in a happy community. HWP never search that!

So you have many bands interested in releasing stuff by HWP, right?

Well, "many bands" is very subjective. There are some bands interested on work with HWP however 95% of the releases have been made because HWP contacted first the bands. The entities that contacted HWP but don't interested (musically or attitude) I explain to them the reasons why HWP don't have interest on that kind of bands, and usually they understand, if not Fuck Off! I’m not the kind of guy that when I have to say “NO” I prefer not to answer and hidden myself behind the computer like so many do,Because it wasn’t easy to say “no”. Everyone talks on sincerity, on strong attitudes and that crap but at the end only few know what they are saying and feel what they do.Other problem in release all the stuff I want, is that economically I couldn't put out as many releases as I wish, because if po$$ible I would like to release 10-15 tapes per year and number of releases (4-6) is still very far from that, and I have already to refuse some great releases that I would like to put out because of that reason. However all the releases I put out makes me very proud of that.

All the Underground labels suffer with monetary problems. How can you deal with those problems in HWP?

Yes, it's a big problem. I have to kill my mind to find solutions and I have the goal to not put money from my pocket on HWP, but it's very hard, almost impossible.I try to release 3 or 4 tapes at the same time, since the price per cover is cheaper in this situation; other solution is to make the covers on Xerox cover, which is much cheaper, since the number of copies is few.The postal costs are also a big problem for our underground activities. Pleasure is what I get from doing this. If underground supporters spent more of their money on underground labels I can assure you that we could have great labels here in Portugal, with more releases and more quality ones, but the fans prefer to buy cds from big labels, big bands. It’s sad, but that’s the reality.I think here I’m speaking by all labels.

Actually you are releasing more Portuguese Underground bands than international bands. Do you think that our scene is getting stronger? What do you think about the quality of the Portuguese Underground ?

It depends on the perspective. I think we have a strong scene, however if you look well you can see that actually the number of bands are almost the same as the number of fans, every one have a band, and most of them have even more than one. And personally I don't see this as a stronger thing or as a positive thing at all.Yeah, it's great to see so many bands but are all they explored to the maximum being the members in others bands? I don’t think so.According to the Black Metal there's another strange thing that I don't understand: Some individuals have one BM band that refuse to play with a lot of other bands (because of their ideology, visions, attitude etc…) but with their other bands they play with every kind of bands and persons, my question is: They have double personality? They are 1 thing in one band, and another thing in the others bands? I really don't understand.We have great bands, few great individuals, few great supporters, but the Portuguese Underground has a very big problem: Lack of identity! Only few know who and what they really are, the others are just followers of someone that also don't know what path should follow.There's many back stabbers, many childish attitudes that aren't necessary. The so called true ones are the most poser ones, lots of Gothic’s are involved into the BM scene, and some of them are hailed as true and evil… very sad thing. They are all "brothers" but for me it's only bullshit. I spit in their brotherhood.About HWP release lately more Portuguese bands, yes it's true, I'm always seek for strong bands and I think the bands I have release recently have, in a way or in another, a strong personality and most of them could evolutes to another level without loosing their identity, it's just necessary to keep believing in themselves and don't regret their roots.

What do you think that can be done to eliminate all the problems around the Underground scene?

Nothing can be done. We cannot change people's mind. They are happy in this way; let them rot in their happiness, in their empty way of thinking and living.The most Fuck Off that can be done to them is by presenting work, because those ones stay very fucked when they saw a new release, a new zine, and a new propaganda by the ones they criticize. It should be good that Underground heroes in spite of talking shit on others work they started to work serious in their projects. More work and attitude and less speeches.When the right people stop to praise these posers, they will disappear. They are like cheeps: While the grass is still green they will appear and show their pretty face, I mean, while peoples still listening to them just because they are cool (however their mind is a big empty space) they will stay here. And since people likes that shit, this will never change. Nothing can be done!

You were vocalist on Inner Helvete too. What can you say about your experience as a band member? Are you thinking in entering to another Horde?

Yes, it was true. I founded IH together with Impius in 1996. I can say it has been a great experience until 2005. Last year (2006) I leaved the band. Talking on a materialistic way I can say that I arrived to IH without anything and left IH without anything too. On a more personal way from the 5 gigs done, 2 of them will stay in my memory for years. The first one has been also very important for the band, and have showed IH attitude. Besides the gigs I'm proud of all releases (various tape and split tape releases, 1 split 7''ep, 1 split LP and 1 LP), but mostly the promo "Satanic Hekatomb", the demo "Glorification…" and the infamous split tape with Necrocult, still today this 3 releases makes me bleed of honour.In the beginning of 2006 I, together with Mortiferus join forces to create a new blasphemous union, and it has been unholy baptized as Ódio Funebre. So you can wait another fuck off horde of pure hate. Musically it'll be different from IH but the attitude will be the same since I'm the same maniac today as I was during IH period (and here I am also speaking by the other maniac on this new creation).

How do you see the evolution of IH, according to the audience? Did you have support from the headbangers?That's an interesting question; I could stay here for hours speaking about that matter…In the beginning almost no one supported IH, we (at that time) were a very closed band, that doesn't want many exposure to the outside so, many couldn't have access to IH, and it makes that in Portugal nobody knows the existence of the band. Later, when the first releases were unleashed, the interest grows a little all over the world (especially in South America, Greece, France, Germany and other fucked up countries), only Portugal still shows no interest on IH. However in Portugal there are 5 or 6 personalities that supported IH since the begging, and those are the ones that deserve my total respect. The new comers are very subjective because I doubt they know IH. I can tell you that from IH 3 firsts releases there are very few copies here in Portugal. But it was interesting to see that in spite off no one knows IH everyone talked about it.Later, when the LP was released everything changes, all "Lusitanian BM warriors" started to worship IH and saying "IH is the band, is BM, great band, blablabla", I asked: How the Hell someone could worship a band by seeing only 1 or 2 gigs (an some of them don't even saw nothing), and without having material from the band at home???? And what happens with IH happens also with other bands, just because some bands have some cool friends and that shit they are already a cult band. Fuck friendshit! That's the sad true about our underground. If your band has many friends your band will be recognized. And worst is that many "evil ones"(??!!??) liked that.About IH, I could say that the ones that started to support in the begging are still supporting IH, the others that appears from nowhere I assure you that soon they will disappear so fast as they appear. Hail to the old true ones.

And what do you think about the last IH release on DVD format?

Talking as a fan of the band I don’t support at all that release because IH always denied doing that kind of releases, and is strange to me see IH on DVD, or CD. I don’t see yet the final result, so I don’t talk much more about it. Maybe the band wants to reach another level, that thing isn’t bad at all however with me that will not happen.

Can you tell us what were the reasons for you to leave Inner Helvete or you want to keep it in the secret of demons?I don't think it's really important to be spoken in an interview. It's already dust spread in time….However I could say, and because many have already asked me that, I’ll never be back to IH. It was 10 years, but now it's past and dead, and it should stay buried. Hope they continue with their music (if possible of on the fucked up tape format).

Changing the subject, tell us something about your last releases. What are you planning to release in near future.

I have already more releases planned; however I can only talk about the next 2, which will be out soon:

FRONT BEAST – (GER) – Black Spell of the Damned" – Out on Mars/07Tape version of the first album from this cult underground Black/Thrash Metal maniac. Tape version included 1 bonus track. Limited to 500 copies.

ISHKUR – (POR) – New demo, same spirit, same aggression. Out on Mars/April/07.

There are other stuff planned but let time reveal it, since nothing is sure yet.

Later on this year will be available a mailorder list on paper version, that will not only be a "normal" distro list, since it will contain interviews and other infos.

Send your last Blasphemies to all Infernal Dungeons Readers.

Support the extreme underground. Buy tapes, fanzines and vinyl. Don't waste your money on cd's from big bands. With the money of 1 cd you buy 3 or 4 demos and the felling is always there.Don't follow the others, don't be another sheep, follow your own path. Believe in yourself otherwise you will be another insignificance human being.Supporting underground labels/bands you are keeping underground alive.Let the happy communities for the hippies. Don’t be part of that!FUCK OFF!!!!